*WTD*WTD*WTD*

Grace watched Spence as he worked through the computer logs. He was searching the surveillance cameras located around the area where Boyd's car was found. So far, Sarah's search of the scene had given them nothing. Her phone beeped and she shuffled through her bag for it, trying not to get her hopes up that it was Boyd. Finding it she unlocked the keypad and smiled with relief, holding her phone in the air like a trophy.

"It's him Spence, Boyd's sent me a text!"

Spence looked suspicious. "Since when does Boyd text?"

"Oh, I don't know," Grace said, feeling happiness and relief rush over her, "anyway, it's a picture message, it says. Lets just have a look see…"

Grace gasped in shock and dropped the phone to the floor with a clatter. Spence picked it up, worried about what had caused this reaction. "Are you okay?"

Grace nodded rapidly and reached out for the phone, snatching it from him before he had a chance to look, making sure the image on her phone was really what she thought she had seen the first time. She stared at the screen and tears welled into her eyes. "Oh Spence," she gasped as she passed him the phone, "he is in trouble. Just… just look at him…" As Spence viewed the phone she quickly wiped her sleeves across her eyes, drying away the tears, steeling herself for what this meant.

Spence rested a hand on her shoulder as he shook the phone in his hand. "It's okay. Maybe Eve can do something with this." Grace shakily sat back down before the computer, unable to rid the picture from her mind, the image of Boyd, tied up, unconscious, and clearly hurt. From the looks of the photograph, quite badly. "What is going on?" She asked, and Spence could only shrug. "Maybe this is supposed to scare us off?"

"Yes, but kidnapping, imprisoning and assaulting an officer of his rank? They know the consequences of actions like this, it seems so, so reckless."

"Not if they were given the go ahead by the authorities?"

"But it still doesn't tally right, not for me. The only way they could get away with it, government backed or not, is… well, if they killed him. Hid his body. Plausible deniability. Just like they did before, in this case!"

"Calm down Grace," Spence said, his hand rubbing his face, knowing that Grace's theory was most probably correct. "We'll find him before it comes to that."

"I'm sorry Spence," she snapped, "that's not reassuring, given what they're doing to him, while we're trying to find him."

Spence cast another glance at the phone. "I know," he said, gritting his teeth, "I know."

*WTD*WTD*WTD*

Boyd was laid on the floor again, still tied to the chair. He didn't know how many hours had passed, but he was sure this wasn't the first time he had been knocked back over since they had woken him with the water. His hands felt numb. His chest hurt and he could only breath in shallow gasps. One eye was swelling up rapidly and as he probed his tongue around his mouth he realised he was missing one of his back teeth. He couldn't remember the hit from that one, but he was finding it so difficult to focus on anything through the pain that he wasn't surprised.

John had taken his balaclava off. Boyd wondered if this meant they were going to kill him. Either that, or they were over confident in their abilities to scare him off. One of the masked men approached with pliers in his hand, Boyd tried to slow his breathing as he felt himself panic. He felt the man on his hands and began to plead. "No," he grunted, "No, NO!"

"Calm down Peter," John said mockingly, ruffling Boyd's hair as the other man continued. The plastic ties were cut, freeing Boyd's hands. "See, isn't that better?" John moved away, laughing again as Boyd tried to move his arms forward, to see his hands, but his joints were that stiff it was difficult. Finally completing the act he held onto his wrists, noticing the crusted blood, his swollen fingers.

"Now get up," John ordered. Wanting a reprieve from the violence Boyd stood, with some effort, pushing himself first onto his knees and then wobbly making a stand. He tried not to sway. Tried not to give these men the satisfaction of seeing the damage they had caused. "Mark! Lets go. Lights, camera, action!"

Boyd looked around confused, then realised that one of the masked men was holding a phone, videoing him. He felt his stomach churn. What was the purpose of this? John strolled forward and punched Boyd in the face, this time without the knuckle duster, and watched with satisfaction as he fell back onto the floor helplessly. "Get back up." Boyd tried to obey, only now noticing that his main attacker John had replaced his mask, hiding his identity from the camera. As Boyd slowly climbed to his feet Mark spoke into the phone. "This is a warning to you all."

Boyd was in a crouch, pushing himself up once more, but John kicked his foot out into his chest, sending him sprawling to the floor once more. "Get up," he ordered. Boyd gritted his teeth, used a swollen hand to wipe some of the blood from his eyes. He rolled onto his knees and pushed himself up into a standing position once more, using his anger and frustration to fuel his body. Mark continued into the camera.

"If you want Mr Boyd here to live, you will shut down your investigation immediately. If you want to see Mr Boyd again, you will bring all evidence to Colefield Warehouse, Unit 1, at 8.30 pm. If you involve any of the authorities outside of your unit, we will kill him. If you do not bring the evidence, we will kill him. If you make copies of your evidence, we will kill him. We are watching you. We will know if you do not comply with our demands."

John moved back into view of the camera. "Two hours?" he asked, tauntingly, "is that all the time I have left?" It was for the benefit of the cold case unit, Boyd knew, and he felt his anger boil. He wanted to charge the man, to hurt him. Instead he spat out a mouthful of blood in John's direction. John wiped at the blood on his shirt and shook his head dangerously at Boyd. "That was a mistake." He walked over and picked up the baton he had earlier used, and stroked it softly. "Two hours Boyd, two more hours of this."

Grace watched the video in horror as the man swung the baton at Boyd, hitting him round the side of the head, sending him to the floor. He lay still, unmoving other than his foot which twitched every so slightly. His shirt was un-tucked, his jacket torn and bloody. The last image the video showed was the man stood over Boyd, baton raised high in the air, ready to strike again. Then the screen went blank.

*WTD*WTD*WTD*

Spence clenched his fists as he watched the video, frustration and anger burning within him. Grace was unusually quiet. Eve again, remained the calm one. Sarah was on her way back to the office, her efforts at the scene were a waste, Spence wanted her here. Silence billowed in the room. Eve had already checked the trace she had set up for Boyd's phone, the signals used to send the picture and video were both of no use, the phone hadn't been switched on long enough to get a sufficient trail to trace.

"Okay," Eve said, breaking the silence. "We have to think this through, from all angels. Do we give them the evidence, shut the investigation down?"

Spence couldn't help but shake his head. "We have to get Boyd, make the trade," he said through gritted teeth, "but Boyd himself wouldn't want us to just give in and roll over."

Grace cut in, sounding genuinely hurt. "Spence, we have to do what they ask. If it were any one of us, Boyd would do it."

"I know, I'm not disputing that, but Boyd has his principles and he wouldn't want to give in."

"So what are you saying," Eve asked, "that we give them the evidence, but continue on?"

"No," Grace cut in, angrily. "They said they were watching us. We're taking no chances. For all we know they could be listening in now."

"That was probably a bluff."

"Really. Really! A bluff! And does that, that video, does that look like a bluff?"

Spence shook his head.

"No," Grace continued. "No. I'm not taking any chances, not when Peter's life is at stake. I won't risk it Spence, I wouldn't if it were either or you two, or Sarah, so no, not him either."

"Okay," Spence said softly, "For now, the investigation is closed. We give them the evidence, whatever we have, and we get Boyd back. For now, we think no further than that. Agreed?"

Grace and Eve both nodded. Sarah stormed in the room, out of breath. "Where are we? Let me see the video. Have you got the location up, for the trade, so we can plan our route out tactically? Spence I think I should make the trade, you should be on sniper, if there's any high ground-"

Spence held his hand up. "Whoa, slow down. One thing at a time. I've got logistical maps printed out, we'll discuss our entry and exit strategies. If we leave in," he glanced at his watch, "half an hour, then we can be early. I want to get there first."

"What if they're already there?" Eve asked.

"No, they wouldn't risk it." Spence was certain. "Not in case we got a track on the phone. They have to move him, get him there. I'm thinking, the sooner we get there, the better."

Sarah nodded. "What about their demands? I think we should comply."

"We are," Grace snapped, "we are. Give them all we've got. It's not like we have much, anyway. I just want him back."

"We all do."

Spence took Sarah to study the maps, knowing her experience would help. Eve went to gather the evidence, backup drives, and destroy anything that was left. Grace watched them all go and went to sit in her office. She drew the blinds, grateful they had not given her a task. She would be more of a hindrance than help, she knew. She watched the video on her phone again, watched the way Boyd struggled to stand, the pain he was in, the way they continued to hurt him, the way Boyd continued to antagonise them; she knew it was his way of fighting back, she just hope he didn't push them into pushing him too far.

*WTD*WTD*WTD*

Hello! Is anybody reading this? If you are, please let me know!

I enjoy putting Boyd in peril, hope other people do too!

Please review, good or bad, to let me know if I should continue or not!

THANKS :)